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--> PRODUCTION FUNDING IS PROVIDED BY THE MINNESOTA ARTS
AND CULTURAL HERITAGE FUND AND THE CITIZENS OF MINNESOTA.
THE NORTH DAKOTA COUNCIL ON THE ARTS AND THE MEMBERS OF PRAIRIE
PUBLIC. --> WELCOME TO PRAIRIE MOSAIC
IN THIS EDITION WE'LL HEAR A NATIVE AMERICAN STORY.
LEARN ABOUT CHURCH RESTORATION, AND VISIT WITH A METAL SCULPTURE
WHO CROSSED THE IRON CURTAIN IN THE LATE 1960s TO PRACTICE HIS
ART. BUT FIRST WE'LL TAKE A TRIP TO
MOORHEAD, MINNESOTA, FOR A PROFILE OF ONE OF OUR REGION'S
LEADING ARTS ADMINISTRATORS. JAMES O'ROURKE CURATES NEW
ARTWORK RANGING FROM POTTERY AND HANDY CAST ART TO ABSTRACT
PAINTINGS. THE PERMANENT COLLECTION OF THE
ROURKE ART GALLERY INCLUDES PIECES BY ANDY WARHOL AND ROY
LICHTENSTEIN, AS WELL AS MANY OF THE REGION'S TOP ARTISTS.
LET'S VISIT WITH JAMES O'ROURKE AS HE TALKS ABOUT HIS PHILOSOPHY
OF ART COLLECTION AND THE HISTORY OF THE ROURKE GALLERY.
--> WELL, WE WANT THE BEST. OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE TRYING TO
EXHIBIT THE FINEST ARTISTS THAT LIVE IN THE FARGO, MOORHEAD
AREA, PARTICULARLY AND THE RED RIVER VALLEY AND THEN WE MOVE
OUT TO WESTERN MINNESOTA AND WHERE OUR MEMBERS COME FROM AND
ALSO THE ARTISTS THAT HAVE ONE-PERSON SHOWS HERE.
WE HAVE A STRONG COMMITMENT TO ARTISTS OF OUR TIME AND PLACE.
WE'VE DONE THIS FROM THE DAY WE OPENED.
I THINK THAT MUSEUMS ARE SORT OF DOING A DISSERVICE TO THEIR
ARTISTS IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITY, IF THEY DO NOT EXHIBIT THEIR
WORK. THERE WERE NO ART GALLERY OR
MUSEUM IN FARGO-MOORHEAD IN 1960.
MY BROTHER AND I DECIDED TO START A GALLERY AND EVENTUALLY
IT EVOLVED INTO A MUSEUM. I HAD SPENT THE THREE PREVIOUS
YEARS LIVING IN NEWERRENBERG, GERMANY.
THERE WERE A LOT OF GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS OUT EAST.
SO WE STARTED THE GALLERY. I'D SIGNED A TWO-YEAR LEASE FOR
THE BUILDING DOWNTOWN. THEN DECIDED THAT WE SHOULD HAVE
A HOUSE AND I SUPPOSE YOU HAVE TO BE 25 YEARS OLD TO ACTUALLY
BUY ANOTHER HOUSE AND YOU'RE LOSING ABOUT 500 AD MONTH AND
BUY ANOTHER BUILDING AND HAVE A TWO-YEAR LEASE ON ANOTHER ONE.
SO THE WHOLE THING WAS PRETTY BIZARRE.
I CONSIDER THE MOST BEAUTIFUL OLD BUILDING IN FARGO-MOORHEAD,
BUT THE MUSEUM -- AND WE HAVE THE BUILDING WAS BUILT IN 1913
AS THE FEDERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING.
PEOPLE OUT OF THE AREA THAT COME HERE FROM THE CITIES MARVEL IT
REALLY AS A HANDSOME BUILDING. WE HAVE SOME PERMANENT
COLLECTIONS THINGS OUT OF THE GALLERIES.
WE HAVE JUST SO MANY THINGS IN THE PERMANENT COLLECTIONS RIGHT
NOW. WE HAVE THE WORKS OF THE NATIVE
AMERICAN COLLECTIONS ARE OUT AT THE GALLERY, AS WELL AS SOME OF
THE CONTEMPORARY, WHICH WE CALL NERVOUS ART, ART THAT MOVES
AROUND A LOT, UPSTAIRS AT THE ROURKE.
AND I SUPPOSE AS THE YEARS GO BY, MORE AND MORE OF THE GALLERY
WILL HAVE TO BE USED FOR THE PERMANENT COLLECTION AS WELL.
AND WHAT WE CALL AN ENPSYCHE LOW PEDIC MUSEUM, BY WE SHOW
DIFFERENT CULTURES AND SO ON, NOT JUST PART OF THE MIDWEST,
WHICH IS THE LARGEST PART OF OUR CONTEMPORARY EXHIBITION.
WE ALSO HAVE A GREAT COLLECTION OF AMERICAN POP ART, BECAUSE OF
THE TIME IN THE 1960s, WE WERE ABLE TO BUY POP ART THINGS.
VERY INEXPENSIVELY. SO WE ENDED UP WITH SOME
UNBELIEVABLY FINE PIECES OF WORK BY ANDY WARHOL AND LICHTENSTEIN
AND JAMES ROSENQIFT, WHO IS FROM THE RED RIVER VALLEY.
A LOT OF THE PERMANENT COLLECTION ENDS UP BEING GIFTS
FROM PEOPLE. THEY OFFER YOU THINGS THEY MIGHT
HAVE. INSTEAD OF SELLING, A LOT OF
PEOPLE ARE VERY GENEROUS AND JUST AS SOON GIVE IT TO THE
MUSEUM, SO IT'S TAKEN CARE OF AND PERMANENTLY HERE.
PART OF THE TIME I GUESS I DO OCCASIONALLY ASK PEOPLE FOR ART
OR ASK THEM MORE OFTEN FOR MONEY TO BUY ART WITH, THAT'S PROBABLY
MORE OFTEN THAN WE GET MONEY THAT WAY.
HAVE OFTEN SOMETIMES THREE TO FOUR DIFFERENT EXHIBITIONS,
PARTICULARLY IN THIS BUILDING OR OTHER GAL RISE.
THE GALLERY WITH THREE -- THINGS IN THERE RIGHT NOW, THE NATIVE
AMERICAN COLLECTION, IT'S ACTUALLY IN THE LOWER LEVEL.
THE BASEMENT LEVEL OF THE ROURKE GALLERY RIGHT NOW.
AND THERE'S THINGS ON THE SECOND FLOOR AND THE MAIN FLOOR.
WHEN WE BECAME TEN YEARS OLD BACK IN 1970, I KNOW THAT THE
MINISTRY TRIBUNE SENT OUT A PHOTOGRAPHER AND WRITER.
THE WHOLE IDEA THAT AN ART GALLERY SURVIVED TEN YEARS IN
MINNESOTA WAS A REAL RECORD. BUT IT'S A COMBINATION OF
SELLING ART, HAVING MEMBERSHIPS, GETTING GRANTS FROM THE
MINNESOTA STATE ARTS BOARD AND THE NORTH DAKOTA STATES ARTS
COUNCIL, LOCAL ARTS COUNCILS. AND DONATIONS FROM BUSINESSES.
A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING I SUPPOSE.
I LIKE WORKING HERE. WE HAVE MUSEUMS STUDENTS FROM
CONCORDIA AND PROGRAM WHERE THEY GET COLLEGE CREDIT FOR WORKING
HERE. SO I ALWAYS TELL THE STUDENTS,
WE'VE HAD ANYWHERE FROM UP TO I GUESS TEN TO 25 OR SO WORKING
HERE ALL THE TIME FROM THE THREE COLLEGES AND CONCORDIA AND
M.S.U. OVER THE YEARS. I ALWAYS TELL THEM WHEN THEY
COME TO WORK, HOW MUCH FUN IT IS TO HAVE A JOB WHERE YOU JUST
COME AND LOOK AT ART, YOU TALK TO ARTISTS, AND YOU TALK TO ART
COLLECTORS. AND PATRONS AND THEY'RE IT ALL
REALLY NICE PEOPLE. IT'S A LOT BETTER THAN, YOU
KNOW, PROBABLY SELLING SHOES IN A SHOE DEPARTMENT OR WORKING IN
THE KITCHEN OF A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT OR SOMETHING.
YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST PLAIN ENJOYABLE TO WORK IN A PLACE
WITH ART AND ARTISTS. IT'S ALL I EVER DO OR THINK
ABOUT I SUPPOSE IS ART. --> KEITH KEITH IS A WORLD
RENOWNED JOHANNES -- HE SHARES H HISTORY OF HIS PEOPLE THROUGH
NEW AND TRADITIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN SONGS AND STORIES.
MANY OF WHICH HAVE BEEN PASSED DOWN FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS.
--> I STARTED TELLING THESE STORIES TO MY CHILDREN.
THESE ARE STORIES THAT I HEARD AS A CHILD AS I GREW UP.
MY NAME IS -- IN THE LANGUAGE OF MY MOTHER, THIS WAS GIVEN TO ME
WHEN I JOINED THE MILITARY. THIS IS MY NAME.
THIS NAME IN THE NORTH LANGUAGE TRANSLATES TO THE BRIGHT LIGHT
THAT WAVES IN THE NORTH SKY. AND IN ENGLISH MY NAME IS
NORTHERN LIGHTS. MY EVERYDAY NAME, THE NAME I GO
BY, KEITH BEAR. AT LOT OF PEOPLE FROM AROUND
AMERICA WOULD COME TO VISIT US AT OUR HOME.
WHEN THEY COME TO VISIT, THEY WOULD BRING STORIES ABOUT THEIR
PEOPLE. AS A CHILD, I WAS FASCINATED
WITH THOSE STORIES,S BECAUSE THEY WERE SO GOOD.
I WANTED TO BE LIKE THOSE GUYS. THE ARTS ARE TO ENTERTAIN AND TO
ALSO TEACH. AND THEY TELL A STORY ABOUT A
PERSON OR A THING THAT'S HAPPENING OR WANTS TO HAPPEN.
YOU CAN USE THEM TO CALL FOR SOMETHING, YOU CAN USE THEM TO
BLESS SOMETHING. YOU CAN USE THEM FOR PRAYERS,
YOU CAN USE THEM FOR LOVE, YOU CAN USE THEM FOR WAR.
WHEN I WOULD TELL THESE TO NON-INDIAN PEOPLE, TRYING TO
DESCRIBE IT USING THE WAR CLUB, IT'S NOT JUST A ROCK AND A
STICK. THIS IS THE GRANDFATHER, THIS
ROCK, SOMEBODY WHO HAS BEEN HERE FOREVER.
AND THE STICK IS PART OF THAT TREE OF LIFE, YOU KNOW.
AND YOU USE THAT TO BUILD YOUR HOME, YOU USE IT TO COOK YOUR
FOOD. YOU USE IT TO HUNT WITH.
AND YOU USE IT NOW TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE.
JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT ITEM YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, BECAUSE
EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE HAS A STORY.
THERE'S ALSO THAT SINGULAR POWER.
YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME SOMETHING MORE THAN WHAT
YOU ARE, WITH THE STORIES. TO DO YOUR BEST AT WHATEVER YOU
CAN. MAYBE WE'RE NOT ALWAYS THE BEST.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF OUR STORIES THAT SAY, WELL, THAT
DIDN'T QUITE WORK OUT THAT TIME. OR DIDN'T WORK OUT IN THAT WAY
FOR THIS MAN. IN THAT WAR ASPECT, YOU HAD TO
LEARN THINGS. SO WE'RE NOT ALWAYS A SUCCESS,
BUT WE LEARN TO DEAL WITH LIFE, REALIZING THAT LIFE HAS -- WE
NEED TO TEACH OUR CHILDREN HOW TO DEAL WITH THAT.
THERE'S MORE TO THE STORY THAN JUST THE WORDS.
IT'S THE THOUGHT CONCEPT, IT'S THE PHYSICAL PROCESS OF THOSE
ANIMALS, THOSE STORIES AND THE IMAGINATION THAT ARE JUST
THOUGHT PROVOKING FOR THESE CHILDREN.
THAT'S WHAT WE WANT THEM TO DO IS THINK.
HERE ALONG THE BIG SMOKY WATER, TODAY IS CALLED THE MISSOURI
RIVER. WEWE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED HERE.
WE HAVE LIVED HERE FOR MANY GENERATIONS.
OVER THOSE GENERATIONS, WE WERE KNOWN FAR AND WIDE AS GENEROUS
PEOPLE. WE WERE KNOWN FAR AND WIDE AS
THOSE WHO HAVE THE BEST GARDENS. AND SO THEY WOULD COME FROM THE
NORTHEAST, THE SOUTH AND THE WEST.
AND THEY WOULD GATHER HERE ALONG THE SHORES OF THIS GREAT RIVER.
AND WHEN THEY CAME, THEY WOULD BRING THINGS FROM THE MOUNTAINS
THAT WE DON'T HAVE. THEY WOULD BRING THINGS FROM THE
NORTH THAT WE DON'T HAVE, THE SOUTH AND EAST.
HERE THEY WOULD GATHER. WHEN THEY WOULD GATHER, THERE
WOULD BE GOOD TRADING AND THERE WOULD BE GOOD SONGS AND LOTS OF
GOOD DANCING. MANY RELATIVES WERE MADE.
AND A LOT OF CHILDREN CAME THE NEXT YEAR.
SO WHEN THESE PEOPLE COME, EVERYBODY GATHERS.
YOU KNOW, WE MAY HAVE BEEN ENEMIES LAST WEEK.
MAYBE LAST MONTH. BUT WHEN THEY COME, THEY RAISE
THEIR HAND AND THEY COME IN PEACE.
WE HAVE SET ASIDE OUR DIFFERENCES.
AND THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THIS YOUNG MAN, HE LIVED THERE IN THE
VILLAGE WITH THE PEOPLE. AND HIS NAME WAS TURTLE.
HE WAS RAISED BY HIS GRAND PEARS, BECAUSE HIS MOTHER AND
FATHER HAD LEFT THIS WORLD. THIS CHILD WAS A LITTLE BIT SLOW
AND THEY CALLED HIM TURTLE, BECAUSE HE WOULD JUST LAY THERE
AND LOOK WITH THOSE BIG, BEAUTIFUL BROWN EYES AND HE WAS
ALWAYS QUIET, JUST LIKE A TURTLE.
AND SO THEY TAUGHT HIM THE UNCLE WOULD TAKE HIM AND SHOW HIM HOW
TO MAKE A BOW. THE GRANDFATHER TOOK HIM AND
SHOWED HIM HOW TO HUNT. THE UNCLE AND THOSE WHO TAUGHT
HIM THE WAYS OF WAR AND THE WAYS OF MEN, THEY TAUGHT HIM VERY
WELL. AS HE GREW, HE BECAME KNOWN FOR
HIS GENEROSITY, WHEN HE WENT HUNTING HE ALWAYS BROUGHT BACK
THINGS FOR THOSE MEN THAT INJURED IN WAR.
HE GAVE THINGS TO WOMEN WITH CHILDREN.
HE GAVE THINGS TO ELDERS WHO HAD FEW TO HUNT FOR THEM, TAKE CARE
OF THEM. BUT HE ALWAYS PROVIDED FOR HIS
GRANDPARENTS, WHO DID A VERY GOOD JOB OF RAISING HIM.
SOMEONE IS COMING, THEY SAID. THERE ARE MANY HORSES COMING.
PREPARE YOURSELVES. THEY DIDN'T KNOW TO PREPARE FOR
BATTLE OR FOR WAR OR FOR FRIENDSHIP.
WE ALWAYS WERE READY TO FIGHT. AND SO WE WERE READY WHEN WE
HEARD THEM COMING OVER THE HILLS AS THEY BROUGHT ALL OF THOSE
HORSES. THEY WERE SINGING THE SONG.
THE HORSES WERE SINGING SONGS, HOW THEY WOULD DANCE AND HOW
THEY WERE BEAUTIFUL IN THE SUNLIGHT.
AS THEY CAME INTO THE VILLAGE, THE PEOPLE WERE HAPPY.
ALL OF THE DUST WAS FLYING, THERE WAS ONE BEAUTIFUL VOICE
THAT YOU HEARD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DUST.
THE TURTLE WATCHED AS THE HORSES WENT BUY BY AND THE DUST CLEARED
A LITTLE BIT. HE SAW THE LONG HAIR, JUST LIKE
A RAVEN'S WINGS, DARK AND BEAUTIFUL.
AND THE VOICE THAT CAME OUT WAS JUST BEAUTIFUL.
AND IT FOUND A PLACE IN HIS HEART.
THAT NIGHT THAT'S ALL HE COULD THINK ABOUT.
AND THAT NIGHT HE SAID, I DREAMED OF YOU.
AND ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT YOU HAVE BEEN MY DREAM.
I WOKE THIS MORNING AND I SAT UPON THE HILL AND I WAITED FOR
YOU TO BRING SUNLIGHT INTO THE DAY.
AS I SAT, I TWISTED SWEET GRASS WITH THE FLOURS THAT GROW.
WHEN YOU KEPT FROM YOUR LARD, YOU STEPPED UPON THE EARTH, THE
SUN BEGAN TO SHINE. THE BIRTHS BEGIN TO SING.
THE BUTTERFLIES BEGIN TO DANCE AND MY HEART BEGIN TO POUND.
WHEN YOU WALK TOWARDS ME, I WANT TO SAY BEAUTIFUL THINGS FOR YOU.
WHEN YOU I LOOK INTO MY EYES, MY MIND WAS LIKE A CLOUD.
I COULD NOT THINK. MY TONGUE WAS SO THICK, I COULD
NOT SPEAK. I LOWERED MY EYES TO THE GROUND
AND I RAISED MY HAND WITH THIS BRIS LET.
AND YOU TOOK IT FROM ME AS YOU WALKED PAST.
I SAID THERE GOES THE LIGHT OF MY LIFE.
THERE GOES THE FORCE OF MY DESIRE.
THERE GOES THE WOMAN OF MY DREAMS.
AND ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT I DREAMED OF YOU.
AND ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT I STILL DREAM OF YOU AGAIN.
ONE MORNING HE TOOK THE CHANCE THAT HE SEEN THE BROTHER TAKING
THE HORSES TO WATER. HE CALLED TO THE GRASS.
HE CRAWLED UP BEHIND HER AND HE GOT CLOSE ENOUGH, HE TOOK A
STICK AND HE POKED HER IN THE ANKLE AND SHE LIFTED HER ANKLE
AND SAID WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE.
DON'T YOU KNOW MY BROTHERS WILL BEAT YOU.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? I HAD TO FIND OUT YOUR NAME.
DON'T YOU KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING TO KILL?
YOU HE SAID DEATH WOULD BE SWEET.
I HAVE TO KNOW YOUR NAME. SHE SAID MY NAME IS PRETTY
CREAM. AND YOU YOU LOOK JUST LIKE A
TURTLE IN THE GRASS. AND HE SAID, THAT'S WHO I AM.
I AM TURTLE. SEVERAL TIMES THEY MET LIKE
THIS DOWN BY THE RIVER.
AND SO HE MADE A SONG FOR HER, A SON THAT MADE HIM FEEL GOOD.
OH, MY HONEY, DON'T YOU KNOW THAT I'LL BE WITH YOU TONIGHT
WE'LL GO OAKING BY THE WATER WE'LL HOLD HANDS BY THE WATER
WE HAVE STORIES. AND IF YOU LOOK DOWN THERE, IN
THE SPRINGTIME, IF YOU LOOK DOWN THERE IN THE SUMMER, OR IN THE
FALL, YOU WATCH. HAVE YOU SEEN THEM CRANES?
YOU CAN HEAR THEM CALLING. YOU WATCHED DOWN BY THE RIVER.
YOU SEE THAT ONE STANDING ON ONE LEG?
IS SHE TALKING TO A TURTLE? YOU SEE THAT'S WHAT WE BELIEVE.
WE BELIEVE THAT SHE WAS GIVEN BACK TO THE SPIRIT AND WE
BELIEVE THAT HIS SPIRIT WENT TO JOIN HER.
AND THEY WERE PUT BACK ON THIS EARTH TO INSPIRE YOUNG MEN, TAKE
YOUR TIME. VILLE A STRONG HEART.
-- HAVE A STRONG HEART. HER VOICE GAVE BEAUTY TO THE
EARTH. HER LOVE GIVES STRENGTH TO A
MAN. AND SO THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS
LONG AGO. --> THE PRAIRIE LANDSCAPE IS
DOTTED WITH STEEPLES, ON YON DOMES ANDTURE RETES OF HUNDREDS
OF PRAIRIE CHURCHES. PRESERVING THESE GEMS IS THE
MISSION OF AN UNUSUAL PROJECT THAT SPANS THE BORDER BETWEEN
THE U.S. AND CANADA. --> OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN
THE PEOPLE MOST FAMILIAR WITH THESE LITTLE HERITAGE GEMS ARE
THE LEAST IMPRESSED BY THEM. BECAUSE THEY'RE SO USED TO THEM.
THEY'VE SEEN THEM ALL THEIR LIVES.
THEY SEEM TO HAVE AN IMPRESSION IT'S THE SAME WAY EVERYWHERE,
WHY SHOULD WE SAVE THIS ONE. AND IT TAKES SOMEONE WHO IS NOT
FROM THE FROM TO SAY, NO, THIS IS REALLY SPECIAL.
YOU GUYS REALLY HAVE TO DO SOMETHING WITH THIS.
THE CHURCH PROJECT HAS TWO PRINCIPAL FUNDERS, IT'S THE
THOMAS FOUNDATION OF WINNIPEG AND THE FOUNDATION OF NEW YORK
CITY. BEING WITH THE MANITOBA CULTURE
HERITAGE AND TOURISM BRANCH, WE OFTEN HELP PEOPLE WHEN THEY COME
TO US, TO TRY AND ORGANIZE A PROJECT TO SAVE SOMETHING.
GOT A CALL FROM A KAPLAN FUND IN NEW YORK CITY.
THEY WERE FUNDING PRAIRIE CHURCHES PROGRAM IN NORTH
DAKOTA. IT WAS LIKE A CROSS-BORDER,
NORTHERN PLAINS THING THAT THEY WERE DOING.
THEY WERE SAYING, WELL, DO YOU HAVE ANY INTERESTING CHURCHES IN
MANITOBA? WE SAID, OH, DO WE HAVE
INTERESTING CHURCHES. WE PROBABLY HAVE THE BEST
VARIETY OF COUNTRY CHURCHES. YOU HAVE TO COME SEE THEM.
WE HAVE ICELANDERS, JUST WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL VARIETY.
AND THE CHURCHES ARE PART OF THAT CULTURAL LANDSCAPE, WHICH
AGAIN SADLY IS DISAPPEARING. AND IF YOU ARE FORTUNATE TO
DRIVE AROUND AND SEE SOME OF THESE, YOU'LL SEE WHAT I MEAN.
THEY'RE ALL DIFFERENT. SOME ARE JUST SPECTACULAR
CHURCHES. I DON'T KNOW WHO THE ARCHITECTS
WERE, SOME LOOK LIKE TUSHISH MOSQUES.
THE GRANDPAS AND GRANDKIDS CAME TO HELP OUT IN SOME OF THEM.
WE'VE GOT QUITE A FEW CHURCHES THAT ARE PRESERVED.
THERE'S A COUPLE OF CHURCHES NOT FAR FROM HERE THAT HAVEN'T BEEN
USED AS CHURCHES SINCE THE MID-60s.
AND THEY'RE JUST NOW RELIGIOUS LANDMARKS.
THE PEOPLE WHO USED TO GO THERE OR HAVE FAMILY BURIED THERE,
THEY GO BACK AND CUT THE GRASS AND PAINT THE CHURCH EVERY TEN
YEARS AND ROOF IT. IT HASN'T BEEN USED FOR 30 YEARS
AS CHURCH, BUT IT'S A WONDERFUL LANDMARK IN THE COUNTRYSIDE,
ATTESTING TO THE SETTLERS AND ONCE WAS HERE.
EVEN THOUGH IT'S ONLY USED ONCE A YEAR OR NOT AT ALL, DOESN'T
MEAN YOU CAN'T SAVE IT AS A LANDMARK.
EVERY ONE IS A BIG SUCCESS, BECAUSE IT'S PART OF A CULTURAL
LANDSCAPE. AND IT WOULD BE REALLY, REALLY
SAD TO HAVE WHAT USED TO BE A LANDSCAPE DOTTED DOTTED WITH GRN
ELEVATORS AND CHURCHES AND DOMES POKING UP OVER THE TREE LINE AND
HAVE NOTHING ON THE LANDSCAPE. SO THINGS LIKE THIS ARE VERY
IMPORTANT TO PRESERVE. --> BORN IN BUDAPEST, HUNGARY,
RICHARD SIEZT WAS SURROUNDED BY BAROQUE SURROUNDINGS.
LONGING TO EXPRESS HIMSELF CREATIVELY, HE CROSSED THE IRON
CUR TIN TO STUDY ART IN AMERICA. AND SINCE THE LATE 1960s,
SCULPTURAL PROJECTS DOMINATED HIS CREATIVE OUTPUT.
DURING HIS 25 YEARS AS CHAIRMAN OF THE MINNESOTA STATE
UNIVERSITY MOORHEAD ART DEPARTMENT, HE CONTINUED
PRODUCING HIS SIGNATURE BRAISED COPPER FOUNTAINS AND SCULPTURES.
HIS WORK IS SHOWCASED ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
--> I WOULD START TO MAKE SMALL SKETCHES WHEN PEOPLE CALLED ON
ME. AFTER I SELECTED A PENCIL
SKETCH, I SCANNED IT INTO THE COMPUTER AND FIND IT.
AND THIS IS THE FINAL RESULT. FROM THIS I MAKE AN ENLARGEMENT,
WHAT YOU CAN SEE HERE. THIS IS IN SCALE, WHAT ACTUALLY
I LIKE TO COME UP WITH, THE HEIGHT OF THE SCULPTURE.
AFTER I HAVE DONE THE SCALE DRAWING, THEN I MAKE JUST A
SKELETAL DRAWING. THIS IS FOR THE PURPOSE TO
CREATE THE WIRE MESH KNOCKOFF, WHICH WILL SERVE AS A PATTERN
MAKING DEVICE. I WAS BORN IN BUDAPEST, HUNGARY.
THE COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT TOOK OVER AND STARTED TO USHER LOTS
OF PEOPLE, AMONG THOSE SOME OF MY TEACHERS AND FRIENDS.
SO I THOUGHT IT WAS BETTER IF I LEAVE THE COUNTRY.
AFTER THAT I CAME TO MINNESOTA STATE UNVERSITY-MOORHEAD.
I WAS HIRED AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ART DEPARTMENT.
I WAS HOLDING THAT POSITION AND TEACHING FOR 25 YEARS.
MY PARENTS ENCOURAGED THE KIND OF PLAY OR EXPERIMENTATION WHEN
I WAS DOING IT AS A CHILD. MY FATHER WAS AN ARCHITECT.
AND I WAS ALWAYS AROUND DESIGN ACTIVITIES AND CONSTRUCTION AS A
CHILD THAT USED MATERIALS. I ALWAYS MADE SOMETHING.
AFTER I HELD THE PAPER PATTERN, THEN I PUT IT ON A SHEET OF
COPPER AND CUT OUT THE PIECE FOR WHAT I MADE THE PATTERN FOR.
AND AT THIS POINT THE COPPER IS STILL VERY STRINGY AND BRITTLE.
IT WOULD BE HARD TO FORM IT. SO I HAVE TO FIRST NAIL IT.
THIS IS TO REARRANGE THE STRUCTURE OF THE METAL,
INTERLOCKING. IT IS MORE SOFT.
THE NEXT STEP IS TO HAMMER OUT. THIS IS THE GENERAL SHAPE OF THE
RING. NOW I HAVE TO GO OVER A COUPLE
MORE TIMES IN VARIOUS WAYS TO FINAL SHAPE IT.
BUT THIS IS ESSENTIALLY THE WAY IT IS SHAPED.
IT CAN USE THESE SMALLER CHISELS, CREATE SOME LINES.
REALLY WHAT I DO I MAKE SOME GUIDELINES FOR THE FEATHERS.
AND USE A CHISEL, MAKE THE CREASES.
AND THEN AFTER IT IS CREASED, THEN I CAN FURTHER SHAPE IT, SO
IT CREATES THE TOPOGRAPHY OF FEATHERS.
AND THEN ALL OF THE PARTS ARE HAMMERED OUT LIKE THIS.
THEN START TO ASSEMBLE IT. I HAD A STUDENT, HER FATHER WAS
AN ARCHITECT, WHO WAS DESIGNING. HE HEARD THAT I WAS MAKING FUNDS
SCULPTURE. HE WANTED TO HAVE A FOUNTAIN.
THIS IS WHY I CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA OF THIS TYPE OF ABSTRACT
FORMS. VERY OFTEN BIRDS GET INTO THEIR
CROP AND I PUT THIS IN IT. USUALLY THE KIDS LIKE TO PUT
THEIR HAND IN THE WATER AND PLAY WITH IT.
I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT. ALMOST THE LAST STEP IS PATCHING
THE LEGS. THEY HAVE THE BASE PART OF THE
FOOT, SO WHAT I'M DOING IS BRAZING ON THE IT'S.
BRAZING IS MATERIAL, WHICH IS AN ALLOY OF A MIXTURE OF METALS.
AND AS AN ALLOW, MELTING TEMPERATURE, THEN THE METAL YOU
ARE BRAZING. FROM THIS -- THIS GREW SO MUCH
FASTER THAN I CAN HANDLE. THIS LOOKS LIKE A PIE.
BUT I DON'T LIKE TO LOOK LIKE PIECES OF PIE.
IT'S NICE TO DO SOMETHING THAW LIKE TO DO.
AND YOU ARE INTERESTED IN. AND THE WORK IS WORK.
SO IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY. --> PRODUCTION FUNDING IS
PROVIDED BY THE MINNESOTA ARTS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE FUND AND
THE CITIZENS OF MINNESOTA. THE NORTH DAKOTA COUNCIL ON THE ARTS